Picture This
by OfficerFishKyle
Summary: One-shot; the framed Kish photo's origin...revealed!


A/N: This one-shot was inspired by the framed college picture of Kyle and Oliver we saw in the 3/25/10 episode when Allison Perkins was holding Roxy and Sierra Rose captive in Kyle's apartment. Here is my take on its origin. This is set between the 12/21/09 and 12/29/09 episodes when Nick was recovering from his gay bashing at Kyle's and was trying to interfere in his relationship with Oliver. Hope you enjoy it and definitely hit me with any feedback you have.

**"Picture This"**

"Sorry about that." Oliver Fish looked up from the food he was unpacking to see Kyle Lewis bounding down the stairs back into the lobby of the Angel Square Hotel.

"It's okay. Is he alright?" Oliver asked, hoping the casual lilt he'd forced into his voice masked the growing jealously in the pit of his stomach. He knew he was being ridiculous. Kyle had, after all, chosen to give him another chance. And Nick was still in rough shape after his bashing and really did need Kyle's help. But Oliver couldn't help thinking that Nick was milking the situation for all it was worth.

"Yup…just needed a hand getting to the bathroom. His ribs are still really bothering him," Kyle reported as he flopped back onto the faded couch next to Oliver. "What's this?"

"Pecan pie," Oliver answered, pushing a plate towards Kyle. "It was always my favorite part of Christmas dinner. I hope it turned out okay. I couldn't exactly call my…my mom…and…um…" Oliver's voice trailed off. With a sympathetic smile, Kyle took his hand in his. The contact immediately made Oliver feel better. Kyle always had that effect on him.

"It sucks they didn't call, Oliver. I mean, it's Christmas," Kyle noted, gesturing with a nod of his head to the explosion of gaudy decorations (Roxy's handiwork, no doubt) that covered the lobby.

"I don't know why I'm getting upset. I didn't really think they would, not after Thanksgiving. It's just…a real different Christmas this year, you know?" Oliver sighed.

"I hear that…" Kyle muttered as he picked up his fork and swirled a piece of pie onto it. Oliver felt like a jerk. It wasn't all about him. He knew Kyle was having a hard time too. It was his first Christmas without his sister Rebecca and, though he didn't talk about her much, Oliver could tell Kyle missed her today more than ever.

"Mmmm…not bad, Officer Fish," Kyle grinned at Oliver as he chewed the bite. Oliver felt flushed with relief. The food had turned out pretty good, despite the change of venue. Originally, Oliver had invited Kyle over to his place for dinner. He had been hoping that, with Cris and Layla in Maryland visiting Layla's mom, they'd be able to pick up where they'd left off the night of their first date.

Only Kyle had called that morning, apologetic but worried about leaving Nick alone all afternoon. Swallowing his disappointment, Oliver had suggested he bring everything over to the hotel. It hadn't been the intimate evening he had envisioned, but it was nice spending time alone with Kyle. The hotel was quiet, Roxy was off somewhere with Rex and Shane, and eating in the lobby definitely beat the hell out of sharing Kyle with Nick any more than he had to. Not that Nick hadn't managed to interrupt them a few times…

"When do you have to head to work?" Kyle asked, shaking Oliver from his thoughts. He glanced down at his watch.

"Argh…in like twenty minutes," he said. Now or never, Oliver decided. With nervous hands, Oliver reached into the shopping bag he had used to carry the food and pulled out a package wrapped in shiny silver wrapping paper.

"Hey…I thought we had an agreement. You did that scout salute and everything!" Kyle exclaimed when he saw it. Both strapped for cash, they had agreed not to go overboard on their Christmas gifts for each other. Kyle had gotten Oliver a blue button-down shirt to replace the one he had ruined investigating Nash Brennan's dug-up grave. Oliver, in return, had bought him a digital sports watch for when he went running.

"Don't worry…didn't cost a penny. Open it," Oliver insisted as he handed it to Kyle. It didn't take any more arm-twisting on Oliver's part to get him to do just that. As Kyle pulled the glossy wooden frame from the ripped remains, Oliver watched as his curious grin melted into…an expression he couldn't immediately peg. Self-doubt seized him. Had he made a mistake giving this to Kyle?

"Wh-where did you get this?" Kyle asked, his voice almost a whisper. He flipped the frame around. He needn't have bothered. Oliver had the image cased inside committed to memory. It was a picture of them from freshman year of college, the day that ΚΆΔ had beaten their rival fraternity ΏΧΔ in intramural football. The boys in the photo looked young, carefree, happy. And, unbeknownst to them, were about eight hours away from their first kiss.

"Remember that girl on the yearbook who took the picture? Molly McKinnon? She gave me that like a week later. I think she had a thing for me…" Oliver began explaining. Kyle, who had turned the frame back towards him, smirked slightly at the mention of the mousey girl's crush.

"After…um…graduation, I was going through my notebooks from freshman year and I found it," Oliver pressed on, his voice tight with emotion. "I told myself a bunch of times to get rid of it. Looking at it just made me sad and confused and mad…at myself. But…I-I couldn't. It was the only thing of you…of us…I just couldn't throw it away, Kyle. Which, considering the way I acted this summer, must sound pretty stupid…"

Movement from Kyle's side of the couch gave Oliver the courage to lift his eyes from his wringing hands. Kyle had fished his wallet out of his back pocket and was digging in it for something. With a soft smile, he handed that something to Oliver. It was the picture! But not. It was a different shot, smaller in size, and the image was weathered with age, but it was unmistakably from the same day.

"How…?" Oliver was at a loss for words.

"You think you're the only Kappa Molly McKinnon had a crush on?" Kyle chuckled, drawing a laugh from Oliver as well. "That's the version they printed in the yearbook. I charmed the negative out of her before she left town that summer. And back then, living in the house, surrounded by shit talking frat guys, I knew something…like this," Kyle continued, taping the glass on the framed photo, "would have really freaked you out so…"

"You kept this in your wallet? All these years? After everything I…" Oliver couldn't finish his thought. Every time he thought about the hurt he'd caused Kyle when he'd broken things off with him in college, it made him ache from his teeth to his toes.

"Well, you know, it's a really good picture of me," Kyle quipped. But Oliver wasn't fooled. The wet corners of his eyes and the tone of his voice gave Kyle away. A flash of inspiration hit Oliver and, knowing for once just what to do, he reached for his own wallet.

"You're right…it is. And since you got my copy now, whaddaya say I hang onto this," Oliver said, flipping open his wallet and sliding the photo into the front slot. The beaming smile Kyle gave him told Oliver he'd said the absolute right thing. For once, when it came to showing Kyle how he felt, Oliver didn't feel like a fumbling fool.

"I love you, Kyle. So much." Kyle responded by closing the gap between them and bringing his mouth to Oliver's. As their lips mashed together, Oliver felt Kyle's hands gently pressing on his chest, pushing him onto his back. He could taste the pecan pie on Kyle's lips and tongue, smell the woodsy cologne he was wearing, feel his fingers pawing at his body through his uniform shirt. Oliver's senses were overwhelmed with love and desire. It was almost like his skin was vibrating…

"Dammit…" Kyle suddenly hissed, breaking his clinch with Oliver. It was then Oliver realized that Kyle's cell phone was buzzing against his thigh. Kyle answered it, but, his head in a horny fog, Oliver couldn't make out what he was saying. All he seemed to be able to focus on were Kyle's lips.

"It's not a problem. I'll be up in a minute," Kyle assured the voice on the other end of the call. Oliver deflated in every sense of the word. He knew what was coming next. Unable to suppress a frustrated sigh, he shifted into a seated position, causing Kyle to slide backwards on the couch.

"He's…uh…way past due for his meds, "Kyle offered, by way of explanation, as he clicked his phone off. Oliver took small comfort in noting that Kyle seemed disappointed too that the moment had been cut short.

"It's fine. I should probably head to the station anyway." Oliver stood up, smoothing his shirt and fixing the buttons Kyle's nimble digits had managed to undo. Kyle busied himself cleaning up the remains of their dinner.

"You're not upset, are you?" Kyle finally broke the silence as he followed Oliver towards the front door of the hotel. Shrugging on his jacket, Oliver turned around to face him and noticed a hint of worry clouding his boyfriend's handsome face.

"Nah…a little blue, maybe…" Oliver immediately regretted his choice of words and blushed fiercely at his accidental double entendre. Kyle chuckled lightly at Oliver's embarrassment and then planted a playful kiss on him.

"Awww…I'm sorry, Oli," Kyle teased, his hands cupping Oliver's cheeks. "But look…Nick's got a check-up on Monday and he should be able to go home after that. So whaddaya say you make us some plans to go out New Year's Eve and, afterwards, we can come back here and...start the new year right. Sound good?"

"That sounds…pretty great," Oliver grinned, Kyle's words dousing the unwanted feelings of irritation and jealousy coursing through his veins. "I'll call you later, okay?" He bent his head to zip up his jacket, preparing for the cold outside.

"Oliver?" He looked up to see Kyle giving him his dreamiest smile, hugging the framed photo to his chest, the image facing outwards so that their college selves were beaming at Oliver.

"Thanks for this. And I love you too. So much." Oliver smiled and watched Kyle jog up the stairs towards his room. And only when he was completely out of view did he finally stroll out of the hotel and into the snow.


End file.
